Deposing at a public hearing regarding the state-owned West Bengal
Power Development Corporation Limited WBPDCL’s 1000 megawatt (2 x 500
MW) power project at Koshigram village under Katwa sub-division in
Burdwan district, 403 peasants have till date recorded their position.
A five-member CPI(ML) Liberation team comprising Comrades Kartick Pal,
Biman Biswas,Meena Pal, Sajal Pal and myself, along with Comrade Ashok
Chowdhury, a district level leader of the party, visited the village
which would be worst affected if the project takes shape, and met with
the functionaries of Krishi Jami Krishak o Khetnajur Bachao Committee
(Save Agricultural Land, Peasants and Agricultural Labourers’
Committee – KJKKBC). Even the day we were there over 60 persons
deposed before the public hearing and all but two spoke against the
undemocratic acquisition.
When the project implementation took off in August 2005, the WBPDCL
acquired 650 but now the area, forcibly acquired, has increased to
1030 acres in nine mouzas of not only this village but others under
the police station of Mongolkot and Ketugram. The entire region is a
fertile multi-crop tract. Apart from three DVC canals, there are nine
deep tubewells, 200 submersible pumps and four river lift irrigation
arrangements – a distinct impress of a flourishing farming area.
The resentment has been growing since 2005. In the recent panchayat
elections, the CPI(M) was completely routed here, with all the six
panchayat seats were won by the Congress. Our conversation with the
villagers reveals that the winning candidates primarily belong to the
KJKKBC rather than the Congress. The Trinamool Congress has very
feeble presence there, if at all.
We organized a meeting which was attended by about 500 people. Apart
from Comrade Kartick Pal and myself, Tapan Ghosh spoke on behalf of
KJKKBC while its secretary Rabindranath Rai took the chair. People
came from other villages like Shrikhanda, Bonkapasi, Sitahati, Ban
Nagra and Bagdola – all facing eviction threat. Attendance of women in
large numbers was notable.
The consensus at the meeting was that there were far less costly
alternatives to the WBPDCL’s land grab policy, ostensibly for
augmenting power production to meet growing demand for electricity.
Raj Bhawan March
Two thousand people had held a march in Kamarkundu on 10th September
demanding alternative land and livelihood for the victimised peasants
and bargadars. A compensation of a minimum of one lakh rupees as
rehabilitation cost along with alternative means of livelihood for the
displaced agricultural labourers was also demanded. CPI(ML) also
demanded that the deal between the West Bengal state government and
Tata Motors be made public. The protesters had also criticised the
fact that the CPI(M) is even ignoring the latest talks between
government and opposition, which were mediated by the Governor, for
the sake of absolute benefit of Tata. Immediate punishment for the
killers of Tapasi Mallick and Rajkumar Bhul was also demanded.
On
September 19, the West Bengal State Committee of CPI(ML) held a March
to the Raj Bhawan, reiterating the above-mentioned demands. A
procession, which was joined by scores of people from Singur, marched
from College Square to Esplanade where a public meeting was held. The
meeting was addressed by CPI(ML) leaders. Subsequently, a delegation
comprising of Partho Ghosh, State Secretary, Kartick Pal, PBM, Sajal
Adhikary, SCM, Shyamapada Dhara, an agricultural labourer from Singur
and Tarapada Kole, an unregistered sharecropper from Singur, met the
Governor and submitted a memorandum. Shyamapada Dhara and Tarapada
Kole told the Governor about the miserable conditions in which they
led their lives after land was acquired for the Tata Motors plant. The
delegation urged the Governor to visit Singur and examine first-hand
the condition of the affected people.
The delegation also demanded
that work under NREGA be started at Singur and urged the Governor to
clarify the stand of the state government with regard to the September
7 agreement since it was signed in his presence. The Governor assured
the delegation that all demands would be conveyed to the state
government and he would sincerely consider visiting Singur.